


Trapped

by orphan_account



Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-27
Updated: 2013-01-27
Packaged: 2017-11-27 01:56:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/656796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shelby has had enough, her husband has been caught cheating again. This time he isn't going to get away with it, this time, she's going to kill him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Trapped

TRAPPED

          Shelby was upset, no she was more than upset; she was livid! She came home from one of the most stressful days at work; to find this! She looked on and noticed that they didn’t even see her standing there!

          “What the hell is this?” she screamed before she even realized she wanted to say anything. The couple on the couch, **_your couch_** the cynical part of her pointed out, jumped apart.

           “You liar! You promise you’d stop!” she screamed again, once more the words bubbled out without her full consent. The two people on the couch scrambled to put on their clothes; Shelby’s husband finished first and attempted to placate her.

          “Now, sweetie, calm do…”

          “Don’t you dare to call me sweetie after what I just saw!” she interrupted; venom laced her words as she spat them out. “And who’s the bimbo you decided to screw while I was at work this time? Huh? Is it your secretary again? Because if it is I swear I’ll… _Naomi?_ ” she whispered the last word. The girl he had been with finally turned around, it was her sister. The howling whirl of anger that had been lurking over her like a cloud was swept away; a chilling calm suddenly came over her.

          She realized how she probably looked, worn from the long day, hair all over the place, she must look horrible. She started to walk away, leaving the two to themselves, but Naomi grabbed her arm, halting her movement.

            “Shelby just wait a second, I can expl…” Naomi started.

          The anger came back with a vengeance, “No. I don’t care anymore. I’m leaving and when I come back you better be gone,” her gaze turned to her husband, “ _Both_ , of you! Or I won’t be responsible for my actions,” Shelby then turned on her heel and, without looking back, walked out the door.

****

          Shelby Jackson didn’t always distrust her husband Oliver. In fact when they first got married she was convinced that she loved him, and that Oliver loved her. Well, that was true, at least for the first year. Knowing what she knows not about his habits, well, the fact he waited for a year before cheating is astonishing.

          The first time was a total surprise. She was picking him up from work and she arrived a little early. She went inside to find him, and was told he was in his office. She opened the door, just a crack, to see if he was ready to go. What she saw instead was Oliver with his secretary; on top of Oliver’s desk. She walked out of the building in a daze and headed home. **_He needed a ride all right_** , the sarcastic voice inside her head said. If that was the only time it happened, then maybe she could have forgiven him, but after the third time she was at the end of her rope.

          “Three different women Oliver! If you want someone else then just leave already! I’ll have the lawyers draw up the papers!” Shelby screamed for what seemed like the umpteenth time. “Obviously you don’t want to be with me anymore! Am I not good enough for you? Why are you still married to me if you want to be with other women?” She just couldn’t take it anymore.

          “Honey, I’m sorry, they were all mistakes. I _do_ love you, stuff happens though, and people make mistakes. I’m not perfect; can you forgive me, please?” Oliver asked this with a pitiful expression on his face. “I love you. I promise to stop. It won’t happen again. Okay Shelly?”

          “I can never stay mad at you when you call me Shelly,” she sighed out reluctantly. **_No, NO don’t forgive him!_** _Shut up!_ she the thought. “You promise?”

****

          All seemed well, at least for a while. Then Oliver started staying late at work again. Shelby had her suspicions, but her heart couldn’t take the conformation that her husband was not only cheating on her, but that he broke his promise.

          This went on for a while, nut then things changed again; Shelby’s sister needed a place to stay for a while. Unemployment was hitting her hard. Oliver started coming home early then; he seemed to be home all the time. Maybe he wasn’t cheating last time, maybe he just had extra work to do and that’s why he stayed late. Maybe she was wrong in thinking he was being unfaithful again. She ignored the doubt in her heart and the snide comments her brain would make when something Oliver said wouldn’t quite match up. She didn’t want to have to deal with the painful truth.

          She headed into work on a Friday morning expecting to come home and have a nice dinner with her husband and sister. It was a long and stressful day, but she was able to leave on time, so she headed home hoping to surprise her husband. She opened the door and walked in, only to see two figures intertwined on the couch.

          “What the hell is this?” she screamed.

****

          As she walked out of the house she had a debate with herself as to where to go next. She was torn between her parent’s house and her office. She ultimately decided her office would be safer; her parents would only ask questions about what happened.

          The familiar surroundings calmed her down almost instantly as she entered her office. The knickknacks in the corner caught her eye first. All arranged in order chronologically from her pre-college road trip to now on the worn bookshelf. She continued scanning the room, seeing pictures and papers scattered about her desk. He eyes ceased all movement when they landed on the typewriter. She looked at the typewriter, something from when she was a kid, and now, it just sits in the corner and collects dust.

          Her thoughts wandered and she realized she has put off the inevitable, so she started to think about what she had just witnessed. _I knew it wasn’t over,_ she thought, _I knew he was hiding something. Why didn’t realize it sooner?_

_**But you did! You knew he never stopped; you just didn’t want to admit it! You couldn’t handle it. You should have dropped him when you had the chance, but no, you couldn’t because you loved him! See where love has gotten you? Nowhere! You were too weak, too much of a moron!**_

The bitter voice had haunted Shelby all her life, snidely commenting on everything Shelby has to say. Shelby tried to ignore it; the voice’s comments were neither wanted nor helpful. Her parents thought the therapy got rid of it, Shelby just got better at hiding her reactions to the harsh words. The therapy didn’t last long after she was “cured” of the voice. It mostly just lamented how much of an idiot she was for not listening to it anymore and how she can never do anything right without it’s help. Normally she was able to ignore it; the old saying goes “out of sight, out of mind.” Shelby had withstood the temptation to talk back since she stopped when she was a little girl. The voice was evil and Shelby knew it, but, this time, this time she was so mad, she couldn’t resist. _Well, what would you do?_

 _**It’s about time you started listening to me again. The answer is simple; we need to get rid of him… her… both of them.**_ The slimy words slithered around her head, leaving a trail of malice behind.

          _I already did that, or did you forget already?_ Shelby thought back with derision underlying the words.

          **_Of course I didn’t. I only meant that we need to get rid of them… permanently._**

          “What?” she exclaimed out loud. She jumped a bit when she realized how silent the room had been before she had spoken. She looked around to make sure she was still alone and repeated again, “What?” only this time it was softer, almost a whisper.

          **_Did you really think I would want them to live?_** the voice continued talking, sounding exasperated. **_Come on, it would be easy._** The voice turned soothing, trying it’s hardest to convince Shelby to listen to what it’s saying. **_You’ve thought about it before. With my help you could get away with it. Think about it, what’s the harm? You trusted me once, what changed? You hate him, he betrayed you. It’s the perfect revenge. What do you say?_**

Shelby stood up and fiddled around with the pens and pencils on her desk, not quite ready to make a decision. Then the voice spoke up again, **_Go home and see what your husband is doing now, and then let me know what you think. Don’t be long, I’ll be waiting, and remember; I’m always watching._**

          She hesitated for just a moment, but Shelby finally decided to go home. _Where’s the harm in that? I’m just going to see if he’s leaving like I told him to._ With that final though, she quickly turned off the light and shut the door.

****

          “So… now what do you want to do?” Shelby had just turned five the week before. She was a big girl now. She had a best friend and everything! Her friend showed up and started to talk to her on her birthday. Shelby didn’t know at the time that it wasn’t normal to be able to talk to things you can’t see.

          **_First I have a surprise for you. Did you know that you don’t actually have to talk out loud when you speak to me? If you just think in your head, I’ll be able to hear you._**

“Wow, really? I’m gonna try that right…” _now. Can you hear me?_

_**Loud and clear. Now, I think we’ve know each other long enough, it’s time for you to give me a name. AND, as soon as you do that, I’ll teach you a new game.**_

“You mean you don’t have a…” Shelby remembered what her friend just told her. _You mean you don’t have a name? And I get to name you? OH, this is gonna be so cool! How ‘bout Susan? No, that’s not good enough, Julie? No, I already know someone named Julie… Wait, where are you from? You don’t talk like Mommy and Daddy do._

_**I am from Greece.**_

_Where’s that? Can I go there someday? Right, I need to name you first._ “Hmm…” the five year old thought hard, _how do you say night in Greece?_

_**In Greek, that would be Nyx.**_

**** _Then I’ll name you Nyx. Because that’s when you first talked to me, was at night time, and if I name you Night, then I’ll never forget when I met you! What’s the game? I wanna play a game now!_

****

          “How are you today? Is everything okay?” Shelby didn’t like the therapist. He tried to take Nyx away. She didn’t want Nyx to go away.

          “I’m good. Can I go home now?” She wanted to get out of that office as soon as she could.

          “No, we only just got started silly. I’m afraid you can’t leave yet.” the therapist’s voice sounded fake; not at all like Nyx’s. Nyx was her best friend; Shelby wanted Nyx to be there forever.

          **_Don’t worry, only you can send me away. I’ll be here as long as you want me to. You’re my best friend; you won’t send me away, right?_**

**** _Of course not, I love you Nyx! You’re my best friend too! I’ll never get rid of you._

That was the last conversation Shelby had with Nyx. After this session the therapist prescribed her medication to get rid of the “hallucinations.” They never really worked. Nyx was still there, but after Shelby started taking the medication, Nyx got angry and Shelby was afraid. Shelby didn’t talk to Nyx anymore and this made Nyx even angrier.       Then one day Nyx disappeared, and Shelby thought she was free of the voice that had taken to tormenting her. Nyx was gone for 18 blissful months, but, then she came back. And this time, Nyx was even worse. The biting comments were never ceasing. Nyx was always there and she always had something spiteful to say about what Shelby decided to do.

****

          Shelby was tense as she walked through the front door of her house. The car ride home had been silent, Nyx didn’t even pipe up once. Shelby had always had Nyx whispering to her at one point or another in her life and it was a little disconcerting for it to not be there.

          She slowly opened the door, she wasn’t sure whether she wanted Oliver to be there, or to have listened to her and left the house. Nyx was still strangely silent as Shelby searched the house for Oliver and Naomi. As Shelby entered the kitchen she noticed a scrap of paper on the table that wasn’t there when she left earlier. She continued to walk the halls to see if her wayward husband and sister were still on the premises before looking at the note.

          After Shelby determined the two traitors weren’t anywhere nearby, she entered the kitchen again to see what was in the note.

          Shelby,

          We’ve left like you so kindly asked us. I don’t see why you were worked up into such a state. Has work been too hard? Maybe you should take some time off again. I remembered last time you had a breakdown that seemed to help. Anyways, when you’re ready to come to your senses and speak like a civilized person, Naomi and I will be at my office waiting for a call.

Hope to hear from you soon,

Oliver

          A now familiar flash of anger overcame Shelby as she read the note her spouse so lovingly left her. He even had the gall to ask what was wrong with her! After he dared to cheat on her, he wanted to know what had put her into “such a state.” As Shelby sat and fumed Nyx sensed her opportunity and started talking to Shelby again.

          **_What did I say? He betrayed you, again. He doesn’t think that he’s in the wrong here, he didn’t even mention the fact that he was sleeping with another women. Not just any women, but your sister at that! Trust me, please; all I want to do is help you. We used to be friends, best friends; I just want to be your friend again. You’re lonely, I can tell._**

**** _Why do you think I stayed with Oliver for so long? I didn’t want to be alone. I was lonely and with you saying such mean things to me… what other choice did I have? Even when Oliver and I were fighting before, and I knew he was cheating, I still stayed because I can’t be alone. I can’t survive if I’m alone. I’m always lonely and hurt, but I couldn’t endure life by myself._

_**Let me ask you this: when you were six, and we would play all the time, were you ever lonely?**_

**** _No, of course not! I had you to talk to! You were always there, I loved you. Then you changed, you were so mean to me. You said such terrible things to me and I thought you hated me._

_**Of course I didn’t hate you! I was upset that you tried to send me away. You took the medicine the doctors gave you and tried to get rid of me. You actually did for a while, but then I came back. That’s why I was mean, because even after you promised you wouldn’t, you sent me away. When you made me go away I was lonely, I missed you so much. You were, and are still, the only person I could talk to. Can we try again? Can we be friends again? Will you let me help you with this problem? That’s all I want to do, I just want to help.**_

Shelby deliberated for a moment and then replied. _You promise? You won’t hurt me?_

_**I promise.**_

**** _Then ok, what are we going to do? How are we going to get rid of Oliver and Naomi?_

_**Get in the cal and go to the store; you're going to make them dinner.**_

**** _This is supposed to help how?_

_**I’ll tell you in the car, just get moving. If we want to get this done tonight, then we have to hurry.**_

_Fine, I’ll trust you._ As Shelby thought that, she grabbed her coat and headed out the door. She wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. Because she was in such a hurry, she didn’t notice that in the mirror in the hall, her reflection wasn’t her own. It was a Shelby that looked wild and crazy, it was Nyx, and she was smiling an evil, gleeful, triumphant grin.

****

          Shelby entered the car with the resolve to do exactly what Nyx said; no matter how much it pained her. She was still leery on trusting Nyx, so she wanted to get this right the first time. She was prompted to head to the store and buy the ingredients for Oliver’s favorite dinner. As she picked up the necessary vegetables for the roast she was making, Nyx told her the details of the plan.

          **_Remember last year when Oliver went all Gung-ho and tried to be healthy by taking potassium supplements?_** When Nyx received yet positive answer, she continued. **_Well, if you get too much in your system you blood will cold. You die what seems to be a heart attack. That’s what we’re going to do; only we’ll know that it’s not a heart attack. We’ll just slip some potassium in the dinner and by the next morning; Naomi and Oliver will be dead as a door nail._**

**** _And you're sure this won’t kill me? I’m going out on a limb and trusting you here, but, I don’t’ want this to screw up and come back to bite me in the butt._

_**After all I've done for you? I've just told you how to get rid of your sleazy cheating husband and his lover and you still don’t trust me? We’ll put the potassium in the wine and you’ll beg off and say you don’t want any. You’ll say you have a stomachache or something.**_

**** _I’m just worried about messing up._

_**You’d have to be an idiot to mess something this simple up. On second thought, do you remember when you were little and we would play our version of hide-and-seek?**_

Shelby remembered those days when ever she was having a bad day at work. She was so happy then. Their version of hide-and-seek was a little different from the norm. Because there were two “people” and one body, so to speak, they would take turns controlling the body and hiding somewhere away from home. The control then switched and the next person had to direct the body home. Whoever got home the fastest got to be the first hider the next day. Shelby shook her head, as if to shake the memories away, before she answered. _Of course I remember. What does that have to do with… Oh, that could work._

_**Of course it will. I’ll do the cooking and be the one in charge during dinner and I’ll even take care of the clean. Then when we find out for sure that they are dead, we’ll switch back and you can continue on with your happy little life.**_

_You know, that just might work._

_**Obviously it will work; it was my idea in the first place. My ideas always work.**_

Shelby finished the shopping quickly and headed back home. She had to get started on dinner and then call Oliver and Naomi.

****

          Shelby walked in the front door and initiated the conversation with Nyx for the first time in years, _So… should we practice? We haven’t done this since I was in 5 th grade._

_**It’s just like riding a bike, you’ll never forget. But I suppose you can practice, if you have to.**_

Embarrassed by her request, Shelby amended her question. _If you say so, I guess we don’t have to practice then. I’m going to call Oliver at his office now._ She dialed the phone number and started thinking about what she was going to say, she had to sound normal, otherwise Oliver might be suspicious.

          The call connected and she heard Naomi answer the phone with a breathless, “Hello?” **_My, oh my, I wonder, what could they being doing that could cause her to be so out of breath?_** Shelby ignored the remark with ease, and she calmly asked to speak to Oliver. There’s a scuffle on the line followed b a deep voice asking who was calling for him.

          “Oliver,” Shelby started off with, “I just wanted to say I’m sorry. I've been really stressed out at work and I just lost it. I wanted to make up for it, so I made your favorite; roast beef with potatoes and carrots. I’m really sorry for blowing this out of proportion. I didn’t even give you the chance to explain or anything. Please, Naomi can come too, but please, come home for dinner,” Shelby ended hoping she sounded like she was close to tears. She was never a very good actor.

          “It’s ok honey, don’t cry. We’ll both be there for dinner tonight,” Oliver tried to say comfortingly. “We’ll talk about things after dinner, how’s that sound?”

          “That sounds wonderful! Dinner will be ready in half an hour. I’ll see you then, I love you,” Shelby hung up the phone, she was glad the two traitors couldn’t see the homicidal smirk she had on her face. They never would have come to dinner if they did.

          **_That was perfect! I’m sure he didn’t suspect a thing. Switch with me now and I’ll get the final dinner preparations ready._**

As soon as Nyx finished speaking Shelby had already started giving up her control of her body. Nyx was right; this was something she could never forget how to do. The feeling of not being in control was intoxicating, all she had to do was be there, she didn’t have to think or move or anything. Shelby floated softly in what she assumed was the place Nyx had been for the last 20 years or so. It was lonely and desolate; it seemed to be an old abandoned warehouse. No wonder Nyx was so miserable; Shelby would have been too if she had to live there.

          **_Comfortable?_** Nyx’s voice came booming in, loud and powerful. Is this what she sounded like when she talked to Nyx?

          _Not really, is there any way I can change my surroundings? It’s scary here. I don’t like it, how did you survive in here by yourself?_

 _**East, I harassed you. That made time pass by quickly. You just take a nap, this will take a while, and you must be tired. I remember when we first did this, at the end of the day you passed out as soon as you went to bed. Just rest, I’ll take care of everything. I’ll wake you up for the important part.**_ While Nyx’s voice soother her, Shelby slowly drifted off to sleep.

          She woke up some point later to a sort of poking feeling, **_S..lby. Sh..by, SHELBY!_** Shelby woke with a start.

          _What? I was asleep. I’m so tired._

_**I just thought you might want to see your husband and sister for the last time. They’re about to leave. They both have enough potassium in their systems to choke a horse.**_

Shelby floated over to the window that magically appeared in the window and looked out. Naomi and Oliver sauntered out the door, looking thoroughly sloshed. _Where are they going? I thought they were going to stay here._

 _**I convinced them otherwise. Now you still sound tires, go back to sleep and I’ll wake you in the morning. You don’t need to see me clean up the dishes and take out the trash, just go to sleep.**_ As Nyx spoke on and on, the fog rolled in and covered Shelby like a blanket. She was asleep within minutes.

****

          Something wasn’t right. Shelby knew something was wrong, she just couldn’t place it. Then she heard something strange, it was her voice. She wasn’t talking though, she just woke up. She stood up and hoped the haze that clouded around her would diminish. She was so confused. She heard the voice again, this time she coils understand what was being said, “” I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help. When my husband and sister left last night to go to the store they were fine, perfectly fine. There was nothing wrong with them.” Wait, that wasn’t her speaking; that was Nyx! What was Nyx doing out and about? Last time she talked to Nyx… the events of yesterday snapped into place quickly.

          An unfamiliar voice spoke up then, “I am sorry for your loss Ma’am, but I’m afraid you’ll have to come down to the station anyways to gather their personal effects.”

          “Of course, just let me grab my coat. I’ll be outside in a moment,” Nyx spoke to the man in her voice again.

          _What the hell is going on? I want out! Nyx… Nyx… NYX!!! Why aren’t you answering me? I’m scared, what’s going on?_

_**You wanna know what’s going on? Well you lost that privilege when you decided to stick with a deadbeat husband, who cheated on you, and you had to come to me to help. You were too weak to stand up for what you wanted. You were to scared, too afraid of being alone. Guess what, you're never gonna be alone now, you’ll get to see what I’m doing every day. You get to see me be the better you.**_

And with that, Nyx, as Shelby, walked out the door and headed to the car to go to the police station. This time, in the mirror in the hall, Shelby was looking out, pounding on the glass, trying with all her might to break free. Shelby was the voice, and Nyx, well, Nyx was in charge, and she was there to stay.

 

FIN


End file.
